Rotary internal combustion engine



Fb, 27, 393%; "w P. VAN LAMMEREN 3 ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed May 12; 1928 l! 34 INVENTOR- WILLEM F? VAN LAMMEREN my mm ATT'YS.

Patented Fete, 27, 1934 means RGTAlBY HNTERNAL CQIIEUSTK'QN ENGINE Willem P. van Loren, Voorschoten, Netherlands Application any 12, race, Serial No. 217,342. in Great Britain May 12, 1927 This invention relates to rotary engines and pumps and refers more particularly to engines or" the annular type comprising a cylindrical casing, containing a concentric rotor, forming an g annular space or chamber therebetween in which a piston disk fixed to the rotor moves, and a sliding abutment reciprocates across the space to take the reactionary "pressure.

An object of this invention is to provide a 3 rugged, simple rotary engine comprising an outer cylindrical and inner substantially cylindrical rotor, each having pairs of opposed recesses adapted to form annular cylinders, the rotor having an integral piston carried thereby operating within the cylinder formed by said recesses, and an integral valve rotating therewith controlling the now or fluid between the two cylinders.

Another object of this invention is to provide a very. simple construction for a rotary engine pa embodying two annular cylinders, one of which is a compression cylinder and the other of which is an expansion cylinder, the two cylinders being thrown into communication by suitable openings in an annular valve rotating with and preferably forming part of the cylindrical rotor of the engine, the rotor and easing therefor having opposed recesses forming the two aforesaid annular cylinders.

Other objects oi this invention will appear 39 hereinafter as the description thereof proceeds,

the novel features, arrangements, and combinations being clearly set forth in the specification and the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a vertical sectional view through a device embodying my invention, the section being taken substantially perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the drive shaft of the engine;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken substantially along the curved line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and laid out in plan to diagrammatically, at least, illustrate the functioning of this apparatus; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective fragmentary view of a portion of the rotor of the engine showing the valve and piston construction.

In the embodiment of the invention shown, the engine or rotor comprises a cylindrical casing 10 preferably .made inv at least two parts as shown, comprising a rotor 11 concentrically disposed in the casing 10 and secured to the drive shaft 12 of the engine. The opposing surof, faces of the rotor and casing are each formed with opposed annular recesses semi-circular in cross-section to form two annular chambers 13 and 14 which will hereinafter be referred to respectively as the explosion and compression chambers. The surface of the rotor is proeovided with two pistons 15 and 18 respectively held between the abutment surfaces 17 and 18 respectively, the pistons being cylindrical and provided with piston rings 19 and 20 to seal the contact between the pistons and the walls oi c5 their respective chambers, whereby the gases or the like cannot pass the pistons. The annular chambers are each provided with reaction valves 21 and 22 respectively, each of which is provided with suitable piston rings not numbered to seal 7 the contact between each reaction valve and the walls of its respective chamber. These reaction valves are guidedin vertical guides 23 and 24 respectively and carry at their upper ends the pistons 25 and 26 slidably mounted in the cylinders 27 and 28 respectively. The two chambers 13 and is have a connecting passage 29 shown in Fig. 3, the ends of which are disposed on opposite sides'of the respective reaction valves 21 and 22 asis clearly 39 illustrated in Fig. 8. The pistons 25 and 26 are operated by fluid pressure introduced through the inlet ports 30 and 31 respectively for the cylinders 27 and 28. The fluid causes the pis= tons to be raised and the air or other fluid above 5 the pistons 25 and 26 isthereby compressed and assists in returning the valves to their original positions when the fluid pressure through ports 30 and 31 is reduced, or entirely eliminated. The fluid is introduced through the ports 30 and 9f) 31 in timed relation with the movements of the engine so that the pistons raise or at least assist in raising the reaction valves 21 and 22 to a position in which they clear their respective pistons 15 and 16. The abutments 1'? are each provided with grooves 32 conforming to the outer peripheral shape of the lower edge oi the reac; tlon valve 21 so that during the passage of the piston from one side of the reaction valve to the other, none of the fluid in the chamber 13 10 can pass the reaction valve and the reaction valve at all times acts as a means for preventing the circulation oi the fluid within the chamher. The engine may be cooled in any desired manner as by fluids. passing through fluid passages in the casing, rotor, and the like, as is well understood in the art to' which this invention pertains. The valve for controlling the fluid under pressure supplied to the ports 30 and 81 is controlled preferably by a valve moving in timed no and the casing, I provide suitable labyrinth packirg between the interconnecting surfaces such as. a 33.

Air cooling ofthe rotor is obtained by means of the openings 34 in the ends of thestator or casing and between openings 35 in the cylinders.

The rotors are also provided with'passages 36- for the passage of the air therethrough.

The embodiment of my invention shown in the drawing is adapted to be used particularly as an engine of the explosion type and the chamber 13 in the drawing is designated as the explosion chamber and is provided with a spark plug 37 connected to suitable timing apparatus for causing a spark in the spark plug at the proper instant for igniting the compressed gases within the chamber 13. The explosive mixture such as gasoline and air is drawn .into the chamber 14 through the inlet port 38 from a carbureter (not shown) and compressed between the piston 16 and reaction valve 22, the parts being in the position which they occupy slightly after full compression. As clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, the pistons 15 and 16 are shown as being on opposite sides of their respective reaction valves.

The rotor 11 has an annular slide valve 39 provided with a port 40, the valve being integral with or moving in unison with the rotor to periodically bring the port 40 in a position to permit the compressed gases at A in Fig. 3 to pass through the connecting passage 41 to the chamber 13 at the position B between the piston 15 and reaction valve 21. As soon as the valve 39 moves on suiflciently to cut off communication between the cylinders 13 and 14, the timing apparatus causes a spark in the spark plug 3'7 and this ignites the explosive mixture and the expansion of the gases results in forcing the piston to the left as viewed in Fig. 1. The exhaust gases which are in the portion C of the cham-' ber 13 are carried out through the exhaust port 42. A

It will be understood, of course, that while I have shown only a single unit acting as an engine of the explosion type, these may be mounted in multiple along the same shaft so as to get different effects or if desired, each chamber may be provided with a plurality of pistons and a similar number of reaction valves spaced peited except as hereinafter set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto obtain by Letters Patent is:

1. A fillidlIlOtOl' comprising a cylindrical block.

a drum rotatably mounted in said block, said' block and drum having opposed recesses therein forming two annular cylinders therebetween, a passage connecting said cylinders, a valve integral with said drum arranged to open and close said passage, pistons carried by said drum, a pair of reaction members slidably mounted on said block and adapted to slide into a position across the diameters of said cylinders to prevent entire circulation of the motive fluid. past said reaction members, means for rotating said drum relative to said block means for moving said reaction members so that the pistons may pass the same without rendering said reaction members inoperative, and means for igniting the motive fluid in one of said cylinders, the other of said cylin ders being for the purpose of compressing the motive fluid, said valve admitting the compressed fluid in the last mentioned cylinder to said first mentioned cylinder so that the igniting means may ignite the motive fluid in said first mentioned cylinder.

2. A fluid motor comprising a cylindrical block, a drum rotatably mounted in said block, said block and drum having opposed recesses therein forming two annular cylinders therebetween, a passage connecting said cylinders, a valve integral with said drum arranged to open and close said passage, pistons carried by said drum, a pair of reaction members slidably mounted on said block and adapted to slide into a position across the diameters of said cylinders to prevent entire circulation of the motive fluid past said reaction members, means for rotating said drum relative to said block, means for moving said reaction members, and means for igniting the motive fluid in one of said cylinders, the other of said cylinders being for the purpose of compressing the motive fluid, said valve ad-' mitting the compressed fluid in the last mentioned cylinder to said flrst mentioned cylinder so that the igniting means may ignite the motive fluid in said first mentioned cylinder.

WILLEM P. VAN LAMMEREN. 

